Will he won’t he? Cameron’s’ cabinet re-shuffle points towards
a shift to the right of the political spectrum and yet more downgrading of the environment
as a result. Getting rid of Justine Greening is a clear signal that he wants to
proceed with the third runway at Heathrow. Greening was the main opponent in Government:
although Boris isn’t too pleased that his pet project of an estuary airport is
now in jeopardy. As Greens, of course, we wouldn’t want either.
Zac Goldsmith, now a Tory MP, may have finally realised his mistake
in abandoning us and joining the Tories. See his anguished article in the
Guardian on a U-Turn on a third runway at Heathrow.
As a long term environmental campaigner, Zak’s article is
well informed and well reasoned. He denies that we need any more capacity and
proposes more rational use of the current capacity as well as reiterating well known
Green Party policy that we need to encourage the shift from air travel to rail
citing the high number of UK internal flights - all of which could be made by
rail.
Already night flights at Heathrow are being considered: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/07/heathrow-night-flights-airport-capacity?newsfeed=true
The one thing this government is unlikely to do is make the
necessary investment in rail so that it can compete with aviation. Instead we
have the most expensive rail fares in the world – and the South East has the
highest fares in the country.
See Kent Green party’s website on how rail fares have
continued to rise in real terms under this Government whilst car journeys are
subsidised from general taxation. http://kentgreenparty.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/public-subsidies-for-private-motorists.html
Hardly the polices of a ‘green’ government
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